Latch



Jan. 22, 1929. 1,699,821

M. J. TRACY LATCH Filed ril 1928 1,699,821 M. J. TRACY LATCH Filed April 23, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y Patented Jan. 22, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATsNToFFicE.

MICHAEL J'. TRACY, `Olli" ST. LOUIS, `MISSOURL` LATCH.

Application filed Ap1il`23, 19528.` Serial No. 271,991.

`This invention relates to latches.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved latch `for use `in locking sliding doors and comprising a longitudinally mov- I able latching element supported by the wall l structure instead of the door and arranged to engage with parts at the upper and lower ends oi the door to hold the door closed and being capable of longitudinal movement to `disengage said parts to permit movement of the door.

Another object of the invention is to provide means Jfor selectively disengaging a number of said latching elements so that one or more doors may be opened, as desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide animproved latch possessing` the advantages and merits of the latch herein disclosed, reference being made to the drawing in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a structure comprising a door having my improved latch cooperative therewith. i Y v Fig. 2 is a. horizontal sectional view approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. l..

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view approximately on the line 3-3 ofFig. 1.

`Fig.-`4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of adjacent portions of the wall and door structures showing the latching element in connection therewith. i

Fig. 5 is a verticalsectional view of the construction shown in Fig, 4, approximately on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4. l i

For convenience of illustration I `have shown my invention satisfactorily embodied in a structure .comprising a barred wall 1 having a door opening 2 and a laterally slid` able barred door 3 Jtor said opening. The upper end of the door has a hanger bracket 4 in connection therewith extending into a hous ing 5 and seating upon a series of balls 6 into ay support 7. The door is thus supported 'for lateral sliding movements to and from closed position. l

l5 Near onepside of the door opening 2 a`vertical tube 8 is secured rigidlyin and as a part of the wall 1 and has its upper end opening into the 'enclosure i5" (Fig. 3). The bracket 4 comprises afV wide lateral portion 9 havinga 00 longitudinal slot 10 .of less diameter than the diameter ot the lock bar 11'. Thelock bar `1l is mounted Jfor vertical movement within the tube 8` and projects upwardlyY into the enclosure 5 through the slot 10 and in its lower position, which is its latching position, engages innotches in the bracket 9 at the sides of the slot l0, thus positively latching the.

door 3 in closed position.

The lower end of the door has a. har 12 rigid i therewith extending under the lower frame member 13 which extends across the lower end ot the door opening and laterally for connection with the lower ends oi the bars of the wall 1. To the lower side of the trame member 13 a channel 14 is rigidly secured and the lower side ofthe bar l2 is formed with a. groove 15 which rides the upper edge oi the' outer wall of the channel 14 (Fig. 5). In its `lower position the lower end of the latch bar 11 projects through the trame member 13 and engages in a notch 1G in the bar 12, thus latching the lower end of the door. Y

A. plate 17 is rigidly attached to the upper` end oi each latch baril and operates between guide brackets `18 within the enclosure 5. A. notch 19 is formed in the inner edge ofthe plate 17 and a longitudinally movable bar 2O i entends through the notches 19 oi all `of the plates 17. Theplate 17 has a roller 21 eX-. tending over the barQO and arranged to be en#` gaged by a cam 22 onthe bar 2O when said bar 20 is moved in one direction from a starting position. Thus, the corresponding locking bar `11 may be raised to disengage the lower end thereof fromthe bar 12and to position the notches 23 within the slot 1() so as torelease the bracket extension 9 and permit the door to be moved laterally from closedn position. Thecam 22 also extends below the lower edge of the barQO and in the starting position of said bar 2O is within the notch 19 so as to prevent movementoi the bar 11 to released position. The lower ends of the cam 22 `are out of vertical alinementwith the high point oi the upper end of said cam so that `movement of the latch bar 1l by the upper and lower high points of the cam is possible. Another cam 24 .is secured to the bar 20 for each latch bar 11. Thus. where there is a se-` ries ci doors 3, any number or selected ones of saiddoors may be released by positioning the cams 22 and 24 in properrelationship upon the bar 20 so that movement of said bar 2O longitudinally to different positions will raise selected ones oi the bars 11 to released positions.

An angular arm 25 h as one end pivoted to the door 3 (Fig. 1) and the opposite end extendingV through a hole in the plate 17 bearing upon a roller 26 supported bysaid plate 17 Thus1 when the bar 11 is raised the free end oi the arm 25 is raised. A projection Q7 moved longitudinally so as to anse the properly positioned cams 22 and 24. to move the corresponding latch. bars ll vertically to Vdisengage the lower ends of such selected locking bars `from the bars 2() of the correspending doors and to place the notches 22 within the slot 10. As before stated, when the lower end of the latch bar ll is disengaged from the corresponding door bar 12and when the notches `22 are within the slot l0, the door 3 is free to move laterally. When any latch ibar ll is moved to unlatched position as aforesaid the arm 25 pivot-ed on the corresponding door is raised to engaufe the pro jection 27 within the notch 8 of the latch bar 29. Next, said operating bar 29 is moved longitudinally in a direction to move to open position the doors 3 which have their arms 25 engaged with the operating bar 29 as explained. So long as the bars l1 are in raised positions it is impossible for the projections 27 to become disengaged from the notches 28. `When any door 3 is open it is impossible for its latch bar 1l to move downwardly because the lower end of said bar rests upon the upper surfaces of the door bar l2. Hence, it is impossible for any latch bar 11 to move downwardly to latched position unless the corresponding door 3 is in a position in which it is desired to latch it. s

Throughout this specification and claims the word wall is used in its broad sense so as to include specically the grating structure shown. y

I am aware that the invention may be varied in construction, arrangement and relationship of parts without departure from the nature and principle thereof.`

I do not restrict myself unessentially, but what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. The combination with an enclosing wall having a door opening, and a door slidable along said wall to close and to open said opening, of .a bar mounted in said wall for vertical sliding movements, and means for actuating said barto engage the upper and lowerextremities of said door when said doorisc-losed and thereby latch said door in closed position. Y

2. The combination with an enclosing wall having a door opening, and a door slidable along said wall to close and to open said opening, of a bar mounted in said wall for vertical sliding movements, means for actuating said bar to engage the upper and lower eX- tremities of said door when said door is closed and thereby latch said door `in closed position, and means for actuating said bar to disengage said door. i

said door when said door is closed andthereby latch said door incloscd position.

4. The combination with a wall having a door opening, means forming a concealing enclosure along said wall above said door opening, and a door slidable along said wall below said means to close and to open said" opening, of a bar mounted in said wall for vertical sliding movements to engage the upper and lower extremities of said door when said door is closed and thereby latch said door in closed position.

5. The combination with fa wall having a door opening, means forming a concealing enclosure along said wall above said door opening, and a door slidable along said wall below said means to close and to open said opening,I of a bar mounted in said wall for vertical sliding movements to engage the upper and lower extremities of said door when said door is closed and thereby latch said door in closed position, and means within said enclosure for disengaging said bar from the upper and lower extremities of said door; y

6. The combination with a wall `having a door opening, means forming a concealing enclosure along said wall above said door opening, and a door slidable along said wall below said means to close and to open said openin of a bar mounted in said wall for vertical sli ing movements to engage the upper and lower extremities of said door when saiddoor is closed and thereby latch said door in closed position, means within said enclosure for disengaging said bar 4from the upper and lower extremities of said door, and means in connection with the door for preventing movement of said bar to latching osition when said door is out of closed position.

7. The combination with a wall having a` door opening, means forming a concealing enclosure above said opening andalong said wall, and a door slidable along said Wall to close and to open said opening, of a bar mounted for vertical movements4 to position to engage the upper extremities ofsaid door when said door is closed and thereby latch said door in closed position, and means for concealing said bar from View and prevent` ing access to said bar. 4

8. The combination with a wall having a door opening, mea-ns forming a concealing enclosure above said o ening and along said Wall, and a door slida le along said Wall to close and to open said opening, ofa bar mounted l:tor vertical movements to position to engage the upper extremities of said door when said door is closed and thereby latch said door in closed position, means for concealing said bar from view and preventing access to said bar, and means Within said enclosure for moving said bar to position to unlatch said door. p

9. The combination with a Wall having a door opening, means forming a concealing `enclosure above said opening and along said Wall,` and a door slidable along said Wall to close and to open said opening, of a bar mounted for vertical movements to position to engage the upper extremities of'said door when said door is closed and thereby latch said door in closed position, means for concealing said bar from vievv and preventing access to said bar, means Within said enclosure for moving said bar to position to unlatch said door, and means Within said enclosure for opening and closing said door.

l0. The combination With a Wall having a door opening, a concealing enclosure along said Wall above said opening, a door slidablc along said wall to close and to open said opening, and means Within said enclosure for supporting said door, of a bar enclosed Vsaid door in closed position, and means enclosed Within said enclosure for moving said bar to unlatcliing position.

l2. The combination with a Wall having a door opening, a concealing enclosure along said Wall above said opening, a door slidable along said Wall to close and to open'said open'in g, and means Within said enclosure for supporting said door, of a bar enclosed With-A in said Wall and movable to engage the upper and lower extremities of said door to latch said door in closed position, means enclosed within said enclosure for moving said bar to unlatching position, and means Within said enclosure for opening and closing said door MICHAEL J. TRACY. 

